Collapsible crate.



1. SCARR.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

FIL

' Patented May 22,1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET 1.

abbomws J. SCARR.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1915 1,227,079. I Patent-ed May22,1917.

2 SHEETS$HEET 2- the claims; and inthe drawings illustrative UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE. I

JAMES SCARR, OE RANDSBUBG, CALIFORNIA COLL APSIBLE CRATE.

To all whom z't'may concern: I

ject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Randsburg, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Crates, of which the following is a specificationn Y Thisinv'ention relates to collapsible crates or coops, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and then specificallypointed out in of the preferred embodiment: of the invention'v Figure 1 is a perspective view from the top, front, and one end,'with the device in open'or operative position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the parts incollapsed or closed position;

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the blank from which one of the combined corner and stop members is constructed;

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the combined cornerand stop member bent into operative position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged'perspective view, detached, of one' of the catch devices;

Fig. 6 is a'longitudinal sectional elevation of the device on'the line 5-5I of Fig.1;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional elevation;

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation; nFig. 9 is a detached perspective view of one of the elongated hinge members whereby the topis hingedly united to the back; f Fig 10 is a sectional detail illustrating the arrangement of the parts when folded.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. :1 V r The improved device may be constructed of any required size'andis more specifically adapted for shipping: poultry and the like,

but may ;be employed for shipping other products or commodities, and it is not desired, therefore, ,to limit the device to any specific purpose, butfor the purpose of illustration is shown arranged as a poultry ship ping crate or coop, and comprises a bottom Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed November 23, 1915. Serial No. 63,059..

member represented asa whole at 10. Disposed upon the bottom 10 at itsside edges 1s a rear stop member 11 and a forward stop member 12, the members 11 -12 being nailed or otherwise secured to the bottom 10, and the connection between the members 1 01112 further strengthened by terminal straps 1.8 of sheetmetal. Hingedly united at 1-1 to the member 12 is a front vertical membercomprising a lower rail 15, an upper rail 16, end members 17 18, a central longitudinal member 19, and a plurality of vertical slats 20. Themembers 15-16 and 17 are strengthened at their confronting ends by metal straps 21 of sheet metal. The members 15l6l718 and 19 are preferably of wood, while-the slats 20 and the straps 21 are of metal.

Hingedly united at 22 to the rear vertical member 11 is a back member comprising a lower rail 23, an upper rail .24, end members 25-26, a central longitudinal member 27 as indicated in Fig. -2.-

The end members each comprise a lower rail 30, an upper rail 31, end rails or stiles f 32, an intermediate longitudinal stay member 33, and a plurality of vertical slats 3a, the end structures being thus similar to the front and back portions. The end members are hingedly united at '35. to the bottom. 10 and fold inwardly into parallel relation to the bottom and in close proximity thereto. The members 1112 are of sufficient height so that when the ends front and back are folded inwardly a considerable space is left between confronting faces of the members. Connected to the upper rail members 16 and 24: are resilient stop devices 36 having terminal offsets 37 to project into the paths of the end members and hold them in their vertical position, while at the same time-the and members are releasable by manually displacing the stop members. The inner faces of the terminals 37 are inclined at one side, so that themembers 36 will be displaced automatically when the end members are moved into upper position, as will be ob- VlOuS.

The top portion of the improved device comprises a forward longitudinal rail 38, a rear longitudinal rail 39, end rails 41, an intermediate longitudinal rail 42, and a plurality of transverse intermediate rails 43. The rails 43 are preferably spaced apart a less distance than the distance between the transverse intermediate rails and end rails, as illustrated in Fig. 1, space between the members 43 constituting the door-way openings through which the fowls are inserted and removed. A plurality of slats 44 are located'between the rails 38--39 and between the rails 43 and the end members, as shown in Fig. 1.

Guide rods 45 extend through the members 3839 and 42 and relatively near the rail members 43,'and mounted to slide upon the guide members are plates 4647, the plate 46 being arranged to slide upon the guides 45 between the rails 39 and 42, while the plate 47 is arranged to slide upon the guide rods between the rails 3842. 0011- nected at their outer ends to the plate 46 are a plurality of slats 48, while a similar plurality of slats are connected at'their outer ends'to the 'plate 47. The slats 48 extend through the intermediate member 42 from one side and are provided with eyes 51 which engage-around the slats 50, the slats 50 extending through the intermediate member 42 from the other side and are provided witheyes 52 which engage around the slats 48. By this means when the plate 46 is moved inwardly toward the intermediate rail '42 the eyes 51 will slide over the slats 50 which thus serve as guides therefor, and when the plate 47 is moved toward the longitudinal member 42 the eyes 52 will slide over theslats 48 and be guidedthcreby. A spring catch 53 is connected to the rail 38 and yieldably engages the plate 47, while a similar yieldable catch 54 is connected to the rail 39 and yieldably engages the plate 46. By this means the plates 4647 and their attachments are yieldably maintained in theirouterposition, but can be released and moved inwardly when required. By this simple arrangement it will be obvious that movable doors or closures are provided for the space between themembers 43 to enable the fowls to be inserted or removed. It will also be noted that two independent closures are provided, one at each side of the intermediate member 43, so that fowls may be inserted or removed at either side of the crate or coop. I

Attached to the lower and upper rail members 2324 are strap-like hinge members 55, the body of the strap devices being spaced awayfrom the adjacent faces of the members 2324 and 27 and operating as each of which a link 57 1S swingingly coupled and adapted to engage beneath the combined hinge and guide members 55.

The parts 55 and 57 are so proportioned that when the top portion of the device is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 7, the links 57 will be located at the upper end of the members 55, and when the device is collapsed or folded, as shown in Fig. 2, the links 57 will be located at the lower end of the members 55, as illustrated in Fig. 10.

Guard members 58 are attached to the members 2324 of the back and located relatively close to the members 55 and project beyond their outer faces, and thus serve toprotect the members 55 from contact with surrounding objects.

Connected to the front vertical member 12 of the bottom and to the top member 16 of the front are plates 59, the plates being located a short distance from each end of the device and preferably in alinement with the hinges 14 and 22. Each plate is provided with a perforated lateral offset 60 and a swinging catch 61, the terminal of the catch being widened, as shown at 62 and perforate the perforations registering with the perforations of the offset 60 to receive a fastening device, such as a padlock or the like when the member 61 is located in one position.

Connected to the member 38 ofthe top are hinge members 63 in each of which a loop or link 64 is mounted to swing and adapted to engage beneath the latch devices 61 which are associated with the member 16 whenthe crate or coop is in open position, as shown in Fig. 1, and to engage with the latch devices 61 which are associated with the member 12 when the crate or coop is collapsed, as'shown in Fig. 2. The links or loops 64 may be released by turning the members 61 into their upper position, as will be obvious.

The straps 29 which are attached to the upper corners of the front and back mem bers are first formed as shown in Fig. 3 with a longitudinal cleft -and thenbent into theshape shown in Fig. 4, whereby a'stop lug 65 is produced toextend into the paths of the end members as shown in Fig. 1 to limit the outward movement of the latter.

The stops 65 and theiportions 37 of the Spring catches 36 thus coact to hold the end members in open position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A folding receptacle including interfoldable frontr-ear and end members and a movable top, guide devices swingingly connected at one. en'd'tothe "rear memberyand loops carried by the top and slida-bly engaging the guide devicesat their other ends,

said guide devices and loops cooperating to form a flexible hinge connection between the top and back member when the receptacle is in open position and to hold the rear of the bottom in position when the receptacle is collapsed.

2'. A folding receptacle including interfoldable front rear and end members and a movable top, guide devices connected at their ends to the rear'member and spaced intermediate their ends therefrom, and loops swingingly connected at one end to the top and slidably engaging the guide devices, at their other ends, said guide devices and 1 loops cooperating to form a flexible hinge connection between the top and back member when the receptacle is in open position and to hold the rear of the bottom in position when the receptacle is collapsed.

3. A folding receptacle including interfoldable front rear and end members and a movable top, guide devices swingingly connected at one end to therear member, loops carried by the top at its rear and slidably engaging the guide devices at their other ends, holding devices, including base plates connected to the front and to the bottom members, and each having a swinging catch and loops carried by the top at its front and engageable with the fastening devices of the front when the receptacle is in open position and engageable with the swinging catches of the bottom when the receptacle is collapsed. I 7

4. A folding receptacle including interfoldable front rear and end members and a movable top, means for movably connecting the top to therear member, holding devices including base plates connected to the front and to the bottom members and each having a swinging catch, and loops carried by the top at its front and engageable with the swinging catches of the front when the receptacle is in open position and engageable with the swinging catches of the bottom when the receptacle is collapsed.

5. 'A folding receptacle including interfoldable front rear and end members and a movable top, means for movably connecting the top to the rear member, catch devices mounted to swing relative to said bottom and front, and loops carried by said top and adapted to be engaged with the catch devices of the top when the receptacle is in open position and adapted to be'engaged with the catch devices of the bottom when a the receptacle is collapsed.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

JAMES SCARR. [L. s.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

